outfront sept-oct 2009

M E G A M I G R AT I O N : TO P I N D U S T RY P L AY E R S TA K E

A N E W L O O K AT K W VA L U E P RO P O S I T I O N - PAG E 6

A PUBLICATION OF KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY, INC. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009, VOL.6 NO.5

599 AGENTS11 locATioNS

5,582 transactions

BREAKTHROUGHS!

creates online community of high achievers

Start living your Life by Design - Page 4

- PAG E 1 2

7 wEEkS

Sept./Oct. 2009 • Vol. 6 No. 5outfront2 Keller Williams Realty

Sept./Oct. 2009 • Vol. 6 No. 5Keller Williams Realty outfront 3

We’ve entered into the home stretch of 2009 with absolute, proof positive that Keller Williams Realty has seized the shift to create a forward momentum of opportunity and industry recognition. Topping that list is one of the greatest public accomplishments that our associates have ever achieved. Keller Williams Realty has been named by the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Home Buyer - Seller Study as highest in overall satisfaction for home buyers among national, full-service real estate firms for the second year in a row. By nearly every measure, you are outshining and outperforming the industry. Ever since we announced at Family Reunion in February that Keller Williams Realty is now definitively the third-largest real estate company in the United States, the evidence has continued to mount that we are gaining our “unfair share” of the market. In May, we received further validation of our models, our culture and the talent that surrounds us, with the announcement that Keller Williams Realty had more brokers represented on the REAL Trends 500™ report than any other company. We were also the only major real estate franchise company to report an increase in the number of associates and the number of sides for both the REAL Trends 500 and the RISMedia Power Broker Report. And the positive proof that we are gaining market share has continued to mount. In June of 2009, our

productivity per agent increased by 20 percent in one month. Since the beginning of 2009, our agent count has grown by approximately 2 percent, compared to a 10 percent decrease in membership for the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). In Canada, the gap between Keller Williams Realty and the rest of the industry is even greater, and it’s no wonder, given the world-class regional leadership and incredible influx of top talent there. Not one of us is in this alone, and never has it been more apparent to me what it means to be in business with the very best. It’s because of you, and everyone like you who stayed the course, steadfastly followed the model, took your lead generation up several notches and got real about the market that we’re in, that Keller Williams Realty is clearly on a trajectory to become No. 1. As we do so, it is so important that we maintain our humility every step along the way. Our results speak for themselves; bragging does not serve us. Always remember that the glue that holds our culture together is kindness, well-being and grace.

Mark WillisCEO, Keller Williams Realty

Yours in humility,

Letter from the CEO

807 Las Cimas Parkway, Suite 200Austin, Texas 78746(512) 327-3070 phone(512) 328-1433 fax

OutFront is published by Keller Williams Realty, Inc. The entire document of OutFront is copyright© 2009 by Keller Williams Realty, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the publisher. Editorial or advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative. Copyright© 2009 Keller Williams Realty, Inc. All rights reserved.

Not one of us is

in this alone, and

never has it been

more apparent to

me what it means

to be in business

with the very best.

Sept./Oct. 2009 vol. 6 no. 5 OutFront is a publication of Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Marketing and Communications Director: Ellen Marks Editor: Lisa Wahlgren ([email protected])Marketing and Communications Coordinator: Laura PriceCopy Editor: Jeff RyderDesign: Michael Balistreri | Travis DrakeContributors: Celesta Brown | Jill Dwyer | Jennifer LeClaire | Elizabeth Millard | Shelley SealeAdvertising: Tom Freireich ([email protected])Job Inquiries: ([email protected])

Dear Associates,


Tim Heyl graduated from Texas A&M University last May with a degree in finance and a real estate license that he earned on the side during his last semester. Turning down a solid job offer with a steady income, he signed on with the Austin Southwest market center in June, and on July 2, he enrolled in BOLD.

Over the course of the eight-week BOLD program, he took 10 listings and closed three contracts. His most recent listing was for a $2.99 million property. “If it hadn’t been for BOLD, there’s no way that I would have gone after such an expensive property,” he says. But armed with BOLD scripts and a BOLD mindset, he fearlessly picked up the phone and got an appointment. “I didn’t address my age; I just explained how ambitious, persistent and hard working I am.” Even though Heyl had been in real estate for just a few weeks prior to BOLD, he’s very clear on the difference it’s had on his business. “I got one listing before BOLD, but I felt like it was a matter of luck. “Now I realize that it’s a matter of picking up the phone and doing things that are uncomfortable and doing them all the time – the things that other people don’t want to do. I know that if I haven’t talked with 25 people a day about real estate, that I haven’t done my job. BOLD has made me realize that real estate is as predictable as you make it. Successful agents choose to make it predictable at a high level.” Based on the momentum that Heyl has experienced during his first four months in real estate, he says he’s on track to exceed $200,000 within his first year in the business. “I knew after college that I didn’t want to settle for a salary of $60,000. I wanted a job where the harder I worked, the more money I’d make.” Looks like he’s found it.

FAST TRAcK TO THE TOpA nine-year veteran of the real estate business, Gary Budek had a solid track record as a top producer – until this year when he describes his production as “dismal.” “I was letting the market get to me and getting entrenched in all the negative talk.” But halfway through the year, he left RE/MAX, signed on with the

Spring Hill (Fla.) market center, and enrolled in the BOLD program. That changed everything. During the eight weeks that he was in BOLD, he took 14 listings and closed 21 buyer transactions, quadrupling his production from the first part of the year. “It was like a new lease on life for my business. I realized that my mind hadn’t been in the game and I needed to take a stand and get back to being the agent that I knew I was. “It’s like they say in BOLD, ‘There’s no trying, just doing.’ We can overthink this business, and when we just do it, it’s amazing. It works.” So much so, that Budek has signed up to take the program again!

Tim Heyl

BoLD FACTS: Round 1A total of 599 aGEnts signed on for the first round of BOLD this summer, which was taught at 11 Locations throughout North America. Collectively, they closed 5,582 transactions in seven weeks.

Gary Budek

NO "TRYING," JUST "DOING"

BREAKING THROUGH

AcROSS NORTH AmERIcA!

BoLD FACTS: Round 21,680 agents signed on at 22 Locations. Projected transactions: 21,000!


J.D. Power and Associates has awarded Keller Williams associates the distinct honor of

"Highest Overall Satisfaction for Home Buyers Among National Full Service Real Estate Firms, Two Years in a Row!*"

The time to incorporate this honor into your marketing, advertising and communications with your clients is NOW!

You've done it again!

All use of Licensed J.D. Power and Associates Claims and Awards must adhere to very

specific guidelines that can be accessed from myKW. Go to (http://mykw.kw.com) and click

on the marketing tab to review the guidelines in full and to download images of the award.

*Keller Williams Realty received the highest numerical score among full service real estate firms for home buyers in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008-2009 Home Buyer/Seller StudySM. 2009 Study based on 3,138 total evaluations measuring 7 firms and measures opinions of individuals who bought a home between March 2008

and April 2009. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed April-June 2009. Your experiences may vary.


MigrationDavid and Sally HansenMadison East, Wis.

Ashley WilsonRaleigh, N.C.

Robert GrunnahAustin, Texas

Kathleen BucherAustin , Texas

Isabel StephensonJupiter, Fla.

Eric PruittPalm Beach,Fla.

Mega


MigrationKeller Williams value proposition is resonating with top producers like never before.

A bright light is shining on Keller Williams

Realty, as mega agents throughout North

America re-evaluate their options in a

tight market.

The word is out about the education,

support and business model that has

helped make Keller Williams Realty the

third-largest real estate company in

the United States. As a result, market

centers are growing, operating principals

are putting together merger deals to

roll in neighboring brokerages, and the

momentum is building.

By Jennifer LeClaire


RALEIGH’S RISING STARAshley Wilson, a prominent player in the Raleigh, N.C., real estate community, joined Keller Williams Realty in May. She has posted $76 million in sales over the past three years, won MAME Award for Top Producer in 2007 and 2008, and was recognized with Coldwell

Banker’s National Sales Team of the Year Silver Award. And she’s only been in the business for six years. Wilson got her start selling houses in the Triangle region. It didn’t take her long to get the industry’s attention. She’s been named one of REALTOR® Magazine’s 30 Under 30, she’s built relationships with 25 homebuilders, and she’s sold 200 homes in six years. The Triangle market is faring better than the rest of the nation, Wilson says, and now she plans to take her career to the next level. Deciding that the time was right to start building her business, rather than the business of the company she worked for, Wilson observes, “At Keller Williams, it’s about the people. I want to build my team. I want to help build the wealth of others. I believe in the Keller Williams philosophy. That’s why I made the move.” Although Wilson points out that her move from such a prominent company surprised her colleagues, she’s confident that Keller Williams Realty is destined to become a major force in the market, and she’s looking forward to helping make it happen.

PROACTIVE IN PALM BEACHEric Pruitt was the No. 1 agent for RE/MAX in the Palm Beach County, Fla., market for 21 years. He joined Keller Williams Realty in July and is now one of the newest mega agents at the Palm Beaches market center. Although Palm Beach County is one of the hardest-hit real estate

markets in the country, Pruitt is taking a proactive approach to selling real estate by specializing in “highly motivated sellers.” In the midst of the downturn, he remains at the top of his game. “I believe in win-win or no deal,” Pruitt says. “So Keller Williams’ commission structure and business model were attractive to me, but it was more than the money. It was the culture and the professionalism of the agents.” Pruitt is raising the bar higher than ever before, and

has set new goals for listings, sales and revenues. In his 29 years in the business, he says he hasn’t found room for training. But he points out that the support he’s found at Keller Williams Realty is preparing him to double or triple his million-dollar annual commissions. “My colleagues were shocked when I moved to Keller Williams because I’ve been with RE/MAX for so long,” admits Pruitt, who has closed $25 million in sales in the past 12 months. I needed a new model – and Keller Williams has it.”

“THE WHOLE PACKAGE”Isabel Stephenson’s RE/MAX office was closing and she had a decision to make. In July, she opted to join forces with Keller Williams Realty – the real estate company that’s dominating the Jupiter residential real estate market. Her decision followed 18 months of reflection, and the 12-year real estate veteran

wanted the training and support Keller Williams Realty offered to help her rebuild her business in a down economy. “This company has the whole package: the commission structure, the support system for agents and the brand recognition in the local market. I wanted to be with a growing company and Keller Williams Realty is it.” Stephenson says the transition to the Jupiter market center has been “positive.” When you ask her what’s next, she answers, “I make lots of money!” Now that she’s regained her enthusiasm for real estate, her next step is to rebuild her team and start running with the Keller Williams business model.

M E G A M I G R AT I O N

Keller Williams has outstanding training

programs for my team, and for myself.

I wanted access to first-class coaching,

because even though I am a top-

producing agent, I know I waste time.

- Rober t GrunnahAustin, Texas


M E G A M I G R AT I O N

ENTREPRENEURIAL EDGE STILL SHARPDuring his four-year real estate career, Robert Grunnah quickly became a force in the Austin, Texas, real estate market. He founded Castle Hill Investments to specialize in the sale of investment properties and sold close to $70 million at the height of the market in 2006. In August, he joined forces with the Austin-Southwest market

center, where he knows he can remain an entrepreneur, while taking advantage of industry-leading training opportunities. “The time was right to affiliate with Keller Williams,” Grunnah says. “I’m not able to provide my team the training they need because I am too busy doing deals. Keller Williams has outstanding training programs for my team, and for myself. I wanted access to first-class coaching, because even though I am a top-producing agent, I know I waste time.” Grunnah was also attracted to Luxury Homes by Keller Williams. Having established himself in the residential duplex rental properties niche, he sees the luxury homes division as a perfect platform to drive additional sales, as he moves forward with a goal of bringing his successful single-family duplex sales model to market centers across the United States. “More experienced agents are now looking at Keller Williams Realty as a viable business model,” says Grunnah, who closed $21 million in 2008. “I can see the tide turning. Mega agents are recognizing the value proposition of the company. With the training available at Keller Williams, I expect my production to rise back to $50 million within two years.”

INROADS INTO MILWAUKEEA Milwaukee suburb, that’s approximately 90 minutes from Madison, the Brookfield market has barely heard of Keller Williams Realty. That’s all soon to change.The mega agent, husband-wife team of David and Sally Hansen began putting their 30 years of experience to work for Keller Williams Realty

this summer. Having been aligned with one of the largest independent brokerages in Madison, Wis., they signed on with Keller Williams Realty on July 4, a day they now refer to as Independence Day in more ways than one. The decision to switch allegiances to Keller Williams

Realty was not an overnight one for the Hansens. The mega agent couple had been approached by every major brokerage and some not-so-major brokerages. “We want to help build a Keller Williams Realty office in Brookfield. We’re actively building our profit share tree just by explaining to agents Keller Williams’ business model. We’re either pioneers or guinea pigs. We prefer to be pioneers,” Sally quips. As Certified Distressed Property Experts™ and with expertise in commercial real estate, the Hansens are ready to take on the Brookfield market and have a significant sphere of influence to tap into. “With KW Commercial growing as it is, people are going to be really surprised at how quickly Keller Williams Realty grows here,” David says. “We believe in education and training, so Keller Williams Realty was very attractive to us from an operational perspective,” he adds. “This company also focuses more on the agents rather than the brokerage, and they have a much sounder approach to growing. The business model just makes sense.” LUXURY ALIGNMENT

Kathleen Bucher has been a major player in the Austin real estate market for nearly two decades. She first hung her license with RE/MAX and then with Coldwell Banker before transferring to the Austin - Southwest market center in August to capitalize on the city’s luxury housing market.

A member of the Elite 25, who consistently sells more than $20 million a year, Bucher concedes, “for an agent who does as much business as I do, transitioning to a new company can be complicated. I always have properties under contract. I always carry a high inventory of listings and I always have closings." Nevertheless, she determined that Keller Williams Realty was a move worth making, and she took the leap. “Keller Williams is agent-driven,” Bucher says, “and the luxury division really enticed me because I’ve been growing that part of my business. The opportunity to be a part of such a strong luxury program was a big plus.” After just two weeks on board with the company, Bucher discovered another benefit: individual agent Websites. All told, she’s wondering why she didn’t make the move two years ago. kw


M E G A M O M E N T U M

Mega Camp 2009 came with a call to “Light the Fire Within,” and if the 100-degree-plus temperatures in Austin, Texas, were any indication last month, it appears that the event’s 6,500 attendees managed to light fires that heated up the entire town. Record-breaking attendance defied all odds within an industry that is retrenching – creating a new understanding of the Keller Williams difference and sparking rave reviews from attendees who boarded their planes recharged and ready to seize the market with a renewed sense of purpose and power.

Highlights from the three-day event:• An announcement from Mark Willis, CEO, that Keller Williams Realty was voted highest in customer satisfaction among home buyers and second highest in customer satisfaction among home sellers in the J.D. Power and Associates Home Buyer - Seller Study for the second year in a row. (See page 5)• The rollout of myKW – the associate-facing side of kw.com that consolidates all Keller Williams tools, resources and enhanced reporting functions in one site. (See page 12)• A thoroughly successful second annual Luxury Homes by Keller Williams retreat, providing members with the opportunity to network with other high-end associates

throughout North America, and sharpen their edge at highly targeted business-building sessions. (See page 11)• An eye-opening exploration of the new world ofsocial media by Mega Tech keynote speaker, Juliette Powell author of 33 Million People in the Room.Powell’s overriding message to attendees: “Build social capital by adding value to your community. Position yourself to become the ‘it’ person. Social media has alow barrier to entry and gives you the potential tobecome a ‘microcelebrity’ within your community."• Reinforcing the idea that mastery in any field isa function of focus and lots of practice, Gary Keller interviewed an inspirational array of musicians, anaccomplished painter, a motivational speaker withsevere physical challenges, and a Harvard-educatedwriter and speaker who was homeless during heradolescent years.• Lessons on lead generation and wealth building fromAlan Domb, a top-producing real estate broker forthe past 20 years, who now controls 75 percent ofPhiladelphia’s center city condo market. • A Mega Leadership wrap-up address by Susan Scott, author of Fierce Conversations and the soon-to-be-published Fierce Leadership.

Breaking recordsand barriers!

Concentrating on mindset this year, Dianna Kokoszka confers with Martin Bouma.

L i g h t i n g t h e f i r e W I T H I N A T M e g a C a M p 2 0 0 9

M E G AC A M P

Power-packed panels, notable networking and the release of myKW made this Mega Camp the most memorable yet!


"'Perfect' homes go unsold all the time,” Stan Barron told attendees at the second annual retreat for members of Luxury Homes by Keller Williams. An advertising consultant, author and REALTOR®, Barron provided attendees

with strategies for breaking out of the mold in the marketing of their properties, based on key tenets of effective advertising. Namely: talk benefits, not features. "Sell a lifestyle. Describe what it’s going to be like to live there."

• Tap into the emotional reasons why a buyer might want to live in a listed property and set out to sell the fantasy. Sellers are often the best sources of information. Ask them what attracted them to the property in the first place, their favorite time of day and year, and whether they have interesting stories to share about the house.• Get professional-quality photographs, Barron emphasized, and above all: create attention-grabbing headlines. "Headlines are read five times as often as anything else, so that’s where the home’s most compelling features need to be captured." • Embrace whatever features might typically be viewed as drawbacks in an effort to market the home toward a targeted niche: If the home has a small yard, emphasize the benefits of "low maintenance." If the price is high, emphasize the status and prestige of living there. "Embrace what the home has to offer and get the home’s personality into the marketplace."

For more insight into Barron’s distinct approach to marketing and advertising properties, he suggested attendees conduct a GoogleTM search on “Stan Barron headlines,” as well as visit his Website (www.stanbarronproperties.com).

LUXURY AGENTS BRIEFED ON “MADISON AVENUE” METHODS

“Four leads that resulted in three sales, two referrals, a wealth of new business-building ideas, outstanding speakers and some of the best accommodations in Austin, Texas.” That’s how Theo Harris, associate and operating principal at the Baltimore market center, described the pre-Mega Camp Luxury Homes retreat, which nearly tripled its attendance and networking opportunities in 2009. For Shari Harris, team leader, the greatest value was the new ideas for effectively coaching luxury agents, while “creating lasting connections with other luxury agents throughout North America. “The level of instruction has been spot on. We would never miss this event,” she said. As far as Mega Camp as a whole: “Prior to joining Keller Williams, we used to go to the NAR Convention every year, but we no longer feel the need to go outside of Keller Williams for education and networking.”

Connections and contacts were cultivated at the 2nd annual Luxury Homes Retreat in Austin, Texas. Attendees also enjoyed guest speakers including Sara Canaday, Certified image consultant, and Stan Barron, a noted advertising consultant, author and REALTOR®.

Priceless Pointers

2nd annual Luxury Homes Retreat proves to be the"right thing - at the right time"

M E G A M O M E N T U M M E G AC A M P

From left to right: Theo Harris, Aaron Rice, Dee Shutlz

From left to right: Barbara Preston, Peg Braxton, Russ Eitel, Amber Hart, Mary Lynne Gibbs, Kathy Neu, Elaine Garner


HIGHLIGHTS OF MYKW INCLUDE:Recognizing that accountability is a critical thread

that unites all high achievers, current production

and capping information will be automatically

updated and will appear on the dashboard, every

time associates log in. myKW also incorporates a

customizable reporting interface on the reports tab.

An upgraded referral search feature enables

associates to identify their areas of specialization

within their referral profile and conduct referral

searches for clients, based on specific criteria. Within

a single entry search box, associates can enter, for

example, cities, designations, languages spoken, as

well as a particular expertise such as short sales,

luxury homes or commercial.

A comprehensive search feature allows

associates to see at one glance all of the resources

available on a particular topic. For example, entering

“short sales” into the search bar will return a

comprehensive list and online access to everything

available from Keller Williams Realty pertaining to

short sales – training classes, KWU course materials

(which are now downloadable), KWConnect videos,

Agent Mountain content, interviews with Gary Keller,

and MAPS Coaching programs.

In order to integrate the Keller Williams

culture of sharing into myKW, the new platform is

designed to create a closer connection and greater

synergies within communities. Members of the

luxury homes and commercial divisions can access

their online communities right under profile pictures.

Also, online for all Keller Williams associates is the

distressed properties community where associates

can learn and share tips for listing and buying REOs

and short sales.

The myKW calendar feature currently

indicates all upcoming events sponsored by the Keller

Williams Realty International Support Center. By

Family Reunion, this calendar will integrate market

center and regional training calendars. kw

It’s here and it’s already changing the way that Keller Williams associates conduct business. Serving

as a one-stop resource for everything Keller Williams, myKW centralizes access to the intranet, as

well as all Keller Williams technology, training, education, MAPS coaching, and reporting resources.

myKW has been designed to be customized by every Keller Williams associate, allowing for:

1. Up-to-date information on profit share, personal production and goals

2. Instant access to all Keller Williams tools and resources

3. Connection to all communities

To learn more about the full potential of myKW to

power your business, go to (http://www.kw.com),

and enter "myKW" into the search bar in the

upper right of the home page.

M E G A M O M E N T U MM E G AC A M P


Following a distinguished group of real estate professionals that includes Mike Brodie, Georgia Alpizar, Craig Owen and Dave Therrien, Cary Sylvester was named director of the Associate Technology Council (ATC) last month. A distinctly Keller Williams concept, the ATC harnesses the collective vision and expertise of Keller Williams Realty's most tech-savvy real estate professionals in the company for purposes of determining the direction of the entire slate of Keller Williams technology products and services – all of which are grouped under the umbrella of the Electronic Agent Consortium (eAgentC). In a recent interview, Cary Sylvester, executive director of information technology for the Keller Williams Realty International Support Center discussed the company's current technologies and the opportunities that lie ahead.

OutFront: What’s your perspective on your role as director of the ATC?

Cary: eAgentC was built, and is run, by many of the most technologically adept agents throughout North America. My job is to support, direct and implement that vision, and continue to give our associates a competitive and operational advantage through technology. The ATC consists of an amazing group of individuals who bring a wealth of knowledge to Keller Williams, and its structure very much reflects the philosophy of our company – run by agents for agents.

OutFront: What distinguishes Keller Williams Realty's technology offerings?

Cary: We offer a huge platform of technology via eAgentC for $10 a month, and what’s unique about our approach is that the $10 is devoted to providing agents with industry-leading tools to build their businesses – not corporate branding or national corporate advertising campaigns. Our direction and priorities are guided by agents, and we are the clear industry leader in a number of key areas. Kw.com has more listings than any other home search engine in North America,

which is a critical competitive advantage. As we know, 98 percent of homeowners are starting their home search online, and they don’t need to look any further than one of our agents’ Websites. Of course, the Keller Williams Listing System (KWLS), which immediately uploads listing information to all of the major home search sites once they are entered into the system, is an unsurpassed advantage in a listing presentation.

OutFront: What’s the most underutilized capability?

Cary: I think the biggest opportunity that too many agents are missing is the full scope of IDX capabilities, which are free through eAgentC. IDX powers the lead cultivation process by noting the listings that visitors to their sites are clicking on and tracking activity on the site throughout the home search process. It also supports niche strategies, by inviting visitors to search within a designated property type, price range, neighborhood, etc. For example, “Click here to view lakefront homes.”

OutFront: What’s new?

Cary: Having just launched myKW, the agent side of kw.com, we’ve streamlined access to all Keller Williams tools and resources via a single portal. We’ve also vastly enhanced our

agents’ ability to connect within online communities and to reach out more effectively in targeting referrals.

OutFront: What’s next?

Cary: By Family Reunion 2010, kw.com will be the best real estate Website in North America – with an overarching goal of continuing to drive more and more leads to our agents. Stay tuned.

LEARN MORE ABOUT myKW HERE:

http://www.kw.com

Cary Sylvester

Phot

o by

: Mat

t La

nkes

Cary SylvesterNamed Director of the AssociateTechnology Council

M E G A M O M E N T U M M E G AC A M P


Script PowerBy Gary Keller, co-founder and chairman,

Keller Williams Realty

Scripts rule! Whether you’re generating leads, calling FSBOs, explaining the importance of pricing a home competitively, or being asked to discuss your commission, nothing is more important than a well-rehearsed script that keeps the conversation on track. There’s no question that internalizing the dialogues that drive real estate sales is the foundation for a highly successful career in this business. When I was getting started, I practiced scripts with a role-playing partner every morning, prior to picking up the phone and lead generating. Recently, I sat down with some of the top-producing agents in our company and role-played some more. The complete video from that conversation is available on Agent Mountain. Log on to (www.agentmountain.com). Click on "Video," then "Scripts and Dialogues Roundtables." Here's a great script that we shared for discussing the listing price, with a potential seller. kw

F RO M T H E C H A I R M A N

Gary Keller (as the prospective seller): We’ll lose

money if we sell it at that price. We need to net

$30,000.

Agent: Gary, a buyer doesn’t care what you

need. They’re only willing to pay fair market

value for your home. And based on the comps,

it looks like fair market value is going to net you

closer to $15,000.

Gary: But I need $30,000.

Agent: Let me ask you this, are you willing to

stay in your house for another five or six years in

order to get $30,000 in equity out of your home?

Gary: Well, I was hoping not to.

Agent: Because if you look at the trends and

what’s happened to housing prices, we’re

probably looking at a minimum of five to six

years before we return to the values of a couple

of years ago. You know, there are 50 houses for

sale in your price range, and right now, they’re

selling at a rate of about one a month. As you

can see from this graph, only 16 percent of the

houses on the market sold last quarter. If you

want to be out of this house by winter, we’re

looking at two, maybe three houses selling out

of 50. We have to be positioned as one of those

three that are going to sell. It’s a matter of supply

and demand. If there are 10 houses on the

market and you are priced up there with number

nine or 10, all you’re doing is helping numbers

five through one to sell.

Kristina Arias, associate, Integrity First Realty-Mesa/Gilbert market centerMartin Bouma, associate, Ann Arbor market centerMichaelann Byerly, associate, New Tampa market centerDoris Carlin, associate and operating principal, Joplin market centerTony DiCello, manager, MAPS CoachingGary Keller, co-founder and chairman, Keller Williams Realty

Dianna Kokoszka, president, MAPS CoachingBrad Korn, associate, Kansas City-Eastland market centerLinda McKissack, associate, Denton market center; regional operating principal, Ohio ValleyDavid Norberg, associate, La Mesa/East County market centerLesley Thomas, associate, Atlanta-East Cobb market center

R O U N D TA B L E P A R T I C I P A N T S :

Scriptsthat sell


H E A LT H P ROV I D E R S P RO G R A M

Health Providers Programexpands options

I've been

struggling for

more than two

years to find

health insurance.

Most companies

either turned me

down flat because

of my past history of melanoma, or

quoted a rate that was very expensive

with a large deductible. An example

was a plan costing almost $500 a

month with a $5,000 deductible.

I decided to look into the major

medical being offered through the

Keller Williams Health Providers

Program. I called the 800 number and

the customer representative was very

helpful.

As I had previously experienced,

I received the dreaded call in a few

weeks stating I would have to speak

to the underwriting department. That

usually was the step that resulted in

my being turned down. However, this

time I returned from vacation to find

a Priority Mail package waiting for me

with a policy.

The price was actually what had

been quoted on the phone with

no surcharge for previous medical

problems. This is all very similar to

what I had as a dependent on my

ex-husband's insurance. I can now

concentrate on real estate and stop

looking for a job with benefits.

“AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE IS F INALLY MINE!”

Jeannine Gaster

When the Keller Williams Health Providers Program was introduced to associates in February of 2009, it represented a new chapter is the company’s value proposition – offering all KW associates options for limited medical benefit plans, vision, dental, cancer and catastrophic coverage. As promised at the time, the addition of new benefits and new providers has continued to enhance the program. The addition of Small Business United Association (SBU), which was announced at Mega Camp last month, opens up a unique group platform to Keller Williams associates, available in all 50 states. “We are simply thrilled to be able to offer yet another option for our family members to take care of their own and their families’ health, and we are grateful to SBU for helping us to further this objective,” says Mary Tennant, president and COO. As of Oct. 1, 2009, SBU will also offer Keller Williams associates several 401(k) plan options for self-employed persons, as well as Group Term Life, Group Short-Term Disability, Group Long-Term Disability and purchasing discounts for legal services, human resources services and more. “The plans we are providing for Keller Williams associates are unique because it allows them,

for the first time, access to a wide range of health insurance programs on a group basis. All of our health insurance plans are guaranteed issue with no health questions asked, and some don’t even have a pre-existing exclusion. In addition, Keller Williams associates can now get AFLAC plans to supplement their existing health insurance or our own plans,” says Tom Newby, president of SBU. Open enrollment for Keller Williams associates continues through Oct. 15, 2009, for a Nov. 1, 2009, effective coverage date. After open enrollment, new agents joining will be able to enroll on an ongoing basis, and coverage will become effective 60 days after their start date with Keller Williams Realty. For more information on the new benefit options, and updates to the KW Wellness Program, go to (www.mykw.com) and click on the Resources tab, then “KW Wellness Program.” kw

- Jeannine Gaster, associate, Slidell (La.) market center


YO U R F I R S T H O M E

Racing to the finish line

First-time home buyers were projected to account for 53.5 percent of U.S. home sales in 2009 – up from 41 percent in 2008, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), and by all accounts, they'll exceed that figure.

Amidst the flurry of first-time home buying activity, Keller Williams associates are sharpening their competitive edge, leveraging Your First Home to cultivate leads, and hosting Your First Home seminars based on the downloadable presentation on the Millionaire Systems Website (www.millionairesystems.com/msys/YFH.html).

Among them: Shayla Sharp, associate with the Mid-Willamette market center, Corvallis, Ore. “Associates can do a lot to help buyers take advantage of the timing," Sharp says. This summer, Sharp, along with fellow associates Kathy Corjasso and Judy Clark, have been highly successful with informative seminars for prospective first-time home buyers. As part of the seminar, Sharp invited a lender, a title company and the manager from the Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services. She advertised the events on Craigslist, as well as on a local community calendar and some social networking sites. The June seminar drew in 22 attendees and resulted in five buyers. The July event drew in 23 attendees, and has resulted in another four sales to date, with more prospects in the pipeline. INFORMATION EDGESharp attributes the success largely to the highly informative presentations. She put together spiral-

bound booklets for attendees, and along with Corjasso and Clark, covered short sales, foreclosures, buyer experiences, the advantages of working with an agent, loan programs and the $8,000 tax credit. The lender, title company representative and manager from the neighborhood housing services organization also spoke, and attendees were invited to jump in with questions at any point. Based on the success of the seminars, Sharp has the following recommendations:

• Pursue a team approach that draws upon the expertise of a lender and title company representative. Advertise at least two weeks in advance. Find a comfortable, easily accessible location, such as the meeting room of a local library.• Download the Your First Home PowerPoint presentation as a seminar guide.• Be informative, but don’t overwhelm attendees with information. Remember that other presenters will be giving attendees information to digest as well.

“Modifying materials to the audience is crucial,” Sharp says. “We opted to use our own materials and tailor those to fit our particular location, market and demographics. This is a very key element. A presentation designed for a large metropolitan center may not work for a university town, which is our location.” She adds that Your First Home is the ideal gift for attendees, and she includes a business card in every book that she gives out. Maggie Crosby, team leader at the New Bern, N.C., market center, recently held a Your First Home Webinar for Keller Williams associates, and offers additional

Your First Home fuels final dash for first-time home buyer tax credit

2009 stands to go down in real estate history as the year of the f irst-time home buyer. The Obama administration’s f irst-time home buyer tax credit, slated for Jan. 1, 2009, through Nov. 30, 2009, coupled with sharp improvements in housing affordability, breathed new life into home sales.

By Elizabeth Millard


insights into how to optimize both attendance and impact at the seminars. Beyond utilizing Keller Williams resources, she encourages agents to start thinking creatively about lead generation for first-time home buyers. “You have to be focused on finding people to go to your seminar,” she notes. “Start pulling from different resources in the community, which include banks, leaders at community development programs, and even make contacts at workplaces such as hospitals, fire stations, K-12 schools, community colleges, military bases and grocery stores." Reaching out to clients in their late 40s and 50s is also useful, she adds, because many tend to have children

who are considering buying their first home. “Think outside your normal database,” says Crosby. “There are prospects everywhere. Follow the wedding and birth announcements in the paper. Talk to wait staff at restaurants. Talk to everybody.” On a final note, Crosby emphasizes that agents should be thoroughly knowledgeable about the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers, because that’s a major source of questions. “The more you know, the more you can share,” she says. “You can become a valuable resource to them, and a partner, which is particularly important as this tax credit opportunity comes to a close.” kw

Shayla Sharp Kathy Corjasso

The Your First Home Facebook page (www.facebook.com/yourfirsthome) is a growing online community of Keller Williams associates, whose niche includes first-time home buyers.

J O I N T H E CO N V ER SAT I O N !

MICHELE REID KYLE HINRICHS CRISTIAN TRAMONTOZZI

Michele Reid, associate, Towson (Md.) market center, identified recently graduated (and employed) friends of her college-age children, and sent them copies of Your First Home, along with a flier on the $8,000 tax credit.

Kyle Hinrichs, associate, Hudson (Wis.) market center, gives a second copy of the book to all of his first-time buyers at closing, and requests they share it with one friend who’s in the market for their first home.

Cristian Tramontozzi posted signs for a first-time home buyer seminar at his neighborhood association, and noted that the first five people to register would receive a free copy of the book.

Judy Clark

Some recent business-building suggestions from fans of the page:


To the topPersistent talent search sparks turnaroundBy Steve Tufts, operating principal, Jacksonville Beach market center

This is a success story that includes ALC commitment, mega recruiting, two mergers, and just working on the “blocking and tackling” as a market center. It is about the Keller Williams models and culture at its best. The Jacksonville Beach market center was opened in May 2006, a challenging time to be starting a real estate business in Florida. After struggling through

2006 and 2007, and experiencing sizeable losses, things began to change in early 2008. At the end of 2007, Jacksonville-area agents were looking for answers to the issues of the shifting market and not finding them at the local, full-service or discount firms. All over our market, brokerages were eliminating services and increasing fees to agents. At the same time, our new Jacksonville Beach market center had quietly grown from No. 19 in the market to No. 7. Two things happened in the first few months of 2008 that changed this market center: First, one of our ALC members happened upon an icon agent, Phil Pierce, in a restaurant. Phil was on our “top 50” prospect list and had been talking with us for years. He was becoming frustrated with his current brokerage. He agreed to meet with us again, and after several interviews, Phil joined us in January 2008. In the next few months, he became our biggest fan and told everyone how happy he was at Keller Williams Realty. By year's end, his Level 1 profit

share tree had five megas in it. Our estimate is that his presence in our market center was responsible for at least 10 recruits that year, and another 10 or so who are still in the pipeline. A similar thing happened again that April. Margi Petitt, another icon in our market ran into one of our ALC members. We had been in dialogue with Margi for several years. She mentioned that the future of her current real estate office was uncertain, and she agreed to meet with us the following week. She joined us a few days later. The next day, her managing broker, Connie Grubbs, called to arrange an exploratory meeting. After a few meetings, she agreed to introduce me to the owner of the office in the hope that a merger could be accomplished. Before the meeting ever occurred, most of the top producers in the office had already decided to join forces with our market center. At the request of the remaining agents, we held a group orientation meeting that was attended by 14 of them. By the time we met with the owner, the “fold-in” was essentially completed. The only thing left to decide was what to do with pending contracts and

Jacksonville Beach profit share earners celebrate their first check

Steve Tufts


how to announce the “merger.” Connie became our productivity coach and new agent mentor. This fold-in brought another 20 agents to our market center. Again, they raved in the marketplace about our culture, our training and the quality of Nancy Freeman, our MCA, and Pat Sarver, our director of first impressions. In the following few months, at least 10 other agents joined us on the news that Keller Williams Realty was the “place to be” for producing agents. Among them: another icon, Mark Werner, a local developer and broker. He closed his office and folded his operations into our market center. Although there were only four people involved in the fold-in, the news was very big, and we ended up with a large Keller Williams billboard in front of a high-profile condo complex. By the end of 2008, we had netted approximately 30 engaged producers while eliminating two competitive offices that had been in the top 10 in recent years. In February 2009, Mark Dilworth, another local icon who had been talking with us for almost three years, joined our market center as team leader. His presence gained the enthusiastic approval of our existing agents and the attention of the local market. He further added to the sense of calm confidence of our associates. He immediately recruited Neil Esfahani, one of the most well- known commercial land agents in the area, and our commercial division was born. Like the others, Neil had been in dialogue with us for several years. The change in our financial results has been noteworthy. We’ve been profitable for 13 of the past 14 months. By year-end 2008, we had grown our listing volume by 48 percent, our closed volume was up by 30

percent, our GCI by 26 percent, our company dollar by 25 percent, and we made a $73,000 improvement in our profitability. We ended 2008 ranked No. 3 in our local market in units and No. 4 in volume. At the same time, we’ve hit our goals for KW Cares donations and have devoted countless hours to local charities. We are known in the community for having an optimistic, upbeat, positive culture. In the first six months of 2009, we cleared our loss carry forward and profit shared for the first time in July. Our local newspaper covered the story. As of August 2009, the Jacksonville Beach market center is tied for No. 1 in market share among the five Jacksonville Beach MLS territories. We are also the No. 2 office in the entire Jacksonville-area MLS by volume. What we’ve come to learn is that any day, any

associate might run into someone casually or receive a phone call that will materially change the market center. The challenge is to get up every day and lead by example. We need to focus on positive outcomes for our businesses, despite short-term challenges. Having been with our market center for nearly a year and a half, Phil Pierce’s recent comment sums up the Keller Williams opportunity. “This place is unreal. I wish I had listened to you when you first called me three years ago. I wish you had come over to my house and grabbed me by the collar and dragged me over here and

made me listen to you. My life would have been better and my wallet would be a lot thicker.” kw

Steve Tufts on how the Jacksonville Beach market center went from No. 19 to No. 1

• We were patient - yet - persistent in building relationships with the top talent in the marketplace.• We embraced the Keller Williams models and the concepts taught in Profit Camp.• We taught from SHIFT and The Millionaire Real Estate Agent constantly. We retaught the MREA models that most of our new agents and some of the veterans had never learned. • To provide motivation, we talked about the law of equilibrium regularly, emphasizing the approaching period of growth and the importance of lead generating for “mind share” during the slow times. • We created an army of “local economists of choice” in our community by regularly distributing a collection of reports, statistics and relevant news to our agents. • We were aggressive with pricing listings and scrutinizing expenses. • We taught classes on handling REO property and short sales. • We held group accountability classes focused on lead generation and time blocking. • We created an atmosphere of being on the leading edge of market survival techniques.

Mark Dilworth


President’sPerspective

I couldn’t be happier about the fact that so many of you are realizing what a great time this is to grow your profit share trees. This past summer represented one of the biggest growth surges in the history of our company; it’s just the beginning of the next era in our growth trajectory. For those of you who are partnering with us in growth by attracting new talent into your market centers, you too are on the edge of a huge financial leap forward. It is such a joy to be a part of a company that is so devoted to building wealth for its people – people who then in turn devote themselves to helping others build wealth. Since 1997, Keller Williams Realty has given $237.7 million back to our people in the form of profit share. We anticipate that profit share for 2009 alone will amount to $25 million. That’s a fabulous statistic in any economic climate, but within the current economic upheaval, it’s nothing short of astounding. We’re not about playing small in this company, and helping others to achieve their dreams is a large part of what drives us. For most of us, dreams take money, and in many cases, a whole lot of money. If that’s the case with you, we’re thrilled. Gary Keller didn’t write The Financially Solvent Real Estate Agent or The Reasonably Comfortable Real Estate Agent. He wrote The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, and that was just the beginning. So don’t hesitate to set the bar

high for yourself. You are in good company! As Shaun Rawls, regional director for our Upper New York – Tri-State Region, recently pointed out, tapping into this profit share opportunity is a matter of thinking enough of yourself to know that you are worth it. You deserve it. And it’s yours for the taking. If you are looking for some guidance on how to go about doing that, we have put together some extraordinary resources this year. We’re encouraging every team leader to teach our new profit share class every week in the market center. Make sure you attend that course – again and again. And thanks to our new intranet, you can access all of our profit share resources from one spot. Just go to (www.mykw.kw.com) and enter profit share into the search box. As we power forward with our real estate sales careers, it’s the alternate stream of passive, profit share income that can stand as the foundation for our financial wealth. It’s up to all of us to decide whether we’re going to be one of the people who seizes the profit share opportunity that’s out there, or one of those who lets it slip by.

Yours in opportunity,

Mary TennantPresident and COO Keller Williams Realty

DearTeam,

• 17,000 additional copies of SHIFT into

the hands of prospective new agents

• 2,706 new associates joined Keller

Williams Realty in June (a 15% year-

over-year gross increase)

• FIRST year-over-year increase in agent

count since April of 2007

• BIGGEST year-over-year increase since

May of 2006

• Net change for NAR’s June 2009 year-

over-year membership: -10%

Impact of June 2009SHIFT into Profit Share campaign:


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Changing the way commercial real estate is done

Among commercial real estate agents in Atlanta, Charlie Lockwood and David Thomas are at the top of the list. Lockwood has been doing commercial deals since 1972, and in April of this year, he joined forces with the Atlanta-Perimeter North market center as director of the newly formed commercial division. “I was working with a small firm and was not sure that the direction they were heading was best for me,” Lockwood says. Having made a name for himself with some of the most prominent firms in commercial real estate, Lockwood discovered that, “Keller Williams was the right fit for me at this stage in my career.” His list of reasons for choosing Keller Williams Realty is a long one, but at the top of it is the referral network from residential agents, the rapidly growing North American network of commercial agents, the commission structure, the profit sharing, and the opportunity to cultivate multiple streams of income. A renowned power player, Lockwood graduated from Georgia Tech with a civil engineering degree and was awarded a Teagle Fellowship to attend the Harvard Business School where he received his MBA. He has been an Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS® Top 5 Producer in Retail and received the Phoenix Award in 2004 in recognition of having achieved Million Dollar Club status for 10 consecutive years. He’s a past director of the Commercial Board of REALTORS, and in 2008, he was named REALTOR of the year. He currently serves as chairman of the board of governors of the Georgia Institute of Real Estate. “Charlie is a respected leader in the commercial

industry,” says Connie Carlson, team leader. “He’s at the stage in his career where he’s looking to help mentor people."

POWERFUL MAGNETAccording to Carlson, Lockwood did not waste any time in growing the market center’s commercial agent base. As soon as he came on board, he booked a professor of economics from Mercer University at a Keller Williams Realty event to discuss the local real estate market. That event drew big name brokers such as David Thomas, who signed on a week later and brought several commercial brokers with him. With more than 35 years of experience in commercial investment real estate, Thomas’ credentials include: REALTOR Associate of the Year and “Exchanger of the Year” for the state of Georgia. “Charlie and David have given me a long list of respected commercial brokers in the Atlanta area and have helped me continue conversations with a number of them,” Carlson says. “Since they came on board, we’ve added 16 agents.”

ACHIEVING MORELockwood describes himself as a team player and he knows how to leverage multiple levels of expertise. He recently got a referral from a Keller Williams residential agent to lease a medical office building, and quickly teamed up with two other commercial agents in the market center to make a strong presentation that tapped into each of their specialties. “Rocky Kaufmann has experience with landlord

C O M M E R C I A L G RO U P I N AT L A N TA

By Jennifer LeClaire

Charlie Lockwood David Thomas


representation and office property sales. Grace Wilson has experience in landlord representation. "I came out of a background of development, leasing brokerage and tenant representation,” Lockwood says. “We’re expecting to get a 50,000-square-foot lease from that presentation.” Lockwood is also helping to lead a “power hour,” during which the market center’s KW Commercial agents get together to share information and motivational items that equip the team for greater success with prospective client calls. He says the commercial agents encourage each other and hold each other accountable. “My goal is to change the way commercial real estate is done. The commercial industry has always been very close to the vest and very competitive – even within the same company,” Lockwood says. "Charlie exemplifies the Keller Williams culture. The new agents that are coming in from larger brokerages are experiencing something different, and it’s opening eyes to a community of sharing.” kw


Top 50Producing Teams*

* Based on transmittals received for all June/July 2009 closed transactions identified with the specific team.

Name City, State GCI Units

1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950

Rushforth TeamRhodes TeamThe Buehlers & Associates, Inc.Bocage TeamThe DeLois Smith All Star TeamBizzy BlondesThe Middleton TeamExpress Realty ServicesBrenkus TeamSeybert TeamGuldi Real Estate GroupMike Clarke GroupThe Ida Terbet TeamThe Jan Richey TeamBrandon Green and AssociatesPat Hiban Real Estate GroupLentz Team AssociatesRuben & Mary SolisBrad Reeser GroupSue Adler TeamThe Belt TeamMcKissack Group RealtyThe Builders Wife TeamJennifer Young TeamTricia Fox GroupThe Jeff Silva TeamThe Joe Iuliucci TeamThe Rivers GroupThe Franke TeamThe Bartlett Real Estate GroupThe Michael Reese GroupBouma GroupThe Monaghan GroupJoel Nelson GroupThe Elite PartnersC. Morgan Davis PCCC SellsThe Josh Bath TeamThe Parsons Real Estate TeamThe Rugolo TeamPhilbeck and AssociatesEng Garcia GroupThe Don Wenner TeamThe Zeleznak GroupThe Marshall GroupCarol Royse Lifestyle TeamThe Heller Real Estate GroupThe Hoffman Murphy TeamThe Gary Segal TeamNeal and Associates

Ottawa, OntarioDallas, TexasFlower Mound, TexasFremont, Calif.Hattiesburg, Miss.Marina del Rey, Calif.San Diego, Calif.Reston, Va.Henderson, Nev.Henderson, Nev.Waldorf, Md.Toronto, OntarioRaleigh, N.C.Frisco, TexasWashington, D.C.Glen Burnie, Md.Eagan, Minn.San Antonio, TexasEdmond, Okla.Summit, N.J.McLean, Va.Denton, TexasPlano, TexasChantilly, Va.Chicago, Ill. Blue Bell, Pa. Las Vegas, Nev.Tallahassee, Fla.Conroe, TexasAustin, TexasFrisco, TexasAnn Arbor, Mich.Glendale, Ariz.Washington, D.C.Palmdale, Calif.Portland, Ore.Sterling, Va.Port Coquitlam, British ColumbiaPasadena, Calif.Scottsdale, Ariz. Orlando, Fla.Washington, D.C.Quakertown, Pa.Scottsdale, Ariz. Salt Lake City, UtahTempe, Ariz.San Diego, Calif.Hermosa Beach, Calif.Blue Bell, Pa. Wichita, Kan.

$740,319 $695,650 $472,496 $448,149 $403,363 $390,156 $383,144 $368,102 $363,362 $357,988 $356,984 $353,429 $349,879 $342,957 $333,637 $330,385 $327,980 $325,254 $304,004 $303,378 $303,203 $302,757 $295,575 $294,704 $293,371 $291,557 $287,413 $281,899 $269,300 $266,691 $266,591 $264,460 $262,968 $258,948 $258,632 $256,476 $253,785 $252,871 $252,187 $248,568 $248,214 $245,223 $244,551 $244,252 $244,119 $243,154 $242,917 $242,630 $240,763 $238,895

93946377532433701011207840462326411221532202162255933337256613044441012082213138176491173827515023152135


Tom MinBrent MitchellTammy BarbeeJoe GluckmanArlene WaltzerDean ThomasPaul HeideggerDeborah MyersJim WillisGlenda MillerAmelita Bautista

Northridge, Calif.Austin, TexasEscondido, Calif.San Antonio, TexasAventura, Fla.Torrance, Calif.Bozeman, Mont.San Antonio, TexasNovi, Mich.Colorado Springs, Colo.Glendale, Calif.

7355523722211717161515

1234567891011

Northridge-CentralAustin SouthwestEscondido/North CountyHeritageAventuraSouth BayBozemanHeritageNorthvilleColorado Springs EastGlendale

Name City, State Market Center Recruits

** Top 10 agents with the most growth at the first level of their profit share tree. January through June 2009.

Top 30Moneymakers***

*** Data from CEO report used for award purposes for the 12 months of August 2008 through July 2009.

Austin SouthwestAntelope ValleyRosevilleAustin NorthwestHeritageOttawaDallas Preston RoadVancouver, WAAshevilleAtlanta - Sandy SpringsDallas DFWClarksvilleGreater PortlandHouston MetropolitanAlbuquerqueBlue BellSan Antonio Legacy GroupRichmond WestSummitScottsdale - SouthwestExtonAtlanta - SugarloafEdmondHollywood HillsBaton RougeThe WoodlandsSanta ClaritaGrand Rapids EastCharlotte - South ParkSan Antonio IH-10

Austin, TexasPalmdale, Calif.Roseville, Calif.Austin, TexasSan Antonio, TexasOttawa, OntarioDallas, TexasVancouver, Wash.Asheville, N.C.Atlanta, Ga.Southlake, TexasClarksville, TennPortland, MaineHouston, TexasAlbuquerque, N.M.Blue Bell, Pa.San Antonio, TexasRichmond, Va.Summit, N.J.Scottsdale, Ariz.Exton, Pa.Duluth, Ga.Edmond, Okla.Los Angeles, Calif.Baton Rouge, La.The Woodlands, TexasValencia, Calif.Grand Rapids, Mich.Charlotte, N.C.San Antonio, Texas

$912,319$907,127$656,684$590,752$566,140$536,346$503,779$493,680$443,295$440,889$394,767$391,675$383,910$365,664$362,227$360,698$354,894$341,000$328,083$322,982$321,658$318,909$311,038$307,709$305,261$304,093$303,729$297,365$296,021$293,744

123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930

Name City, State

Mary TennantSam RafehWayne HallMary TennantMark WillisJeff HooperDavid OsbornPatti SieboldMichael TavenerShaun RawlsDavid OsbornMark KellyDottie BoweMark WillisDavid OsbornMichael CampoJerri SmallwoodTipper WilliamsCara MoxleyJames D. DunningCindy DickermanBryan FairMo AndersonPaul MorrisLarry ChampagneJudith HopkinsSteve WhiteKarol CooleyEd ArringtonMark Willis

OP Total Profit

Eric CopperAmy ConstantineBrent GoveLinda BartlettDavid Jones, Jr.Sunny DaljitBrett CaldwellBrian CombsMichael ZulloSteve KoutLesli AkersKevin Van AkenMark RichardCandace CaspersenTina EberlyTodd PolinchockSteven GraggMichael MaloneyDebra Ann MeckbachPhilip Rankin CooneyEdward FordycePaige PowersSusan MillerTBAMary Garner DeVoeDiane FlickerFrank CrandallJon JacksonAmy HawkeWendi Harrelson

TL

Top 10Stakeholders!**


When Phil Limon joined Keller

Williams Realty's Downey-Pico

market center in May, he didn’t come alone. 42 agents came with him. A veteran of the business and a broker since 1995, Limon had seen the market’s ups and downs before, but none so challenging as this one. It was time to rethink how he was going to do business. Limon realized that adaptability is crucial in a shifted market. So as someone who had made a name for himself in the greater Los Angeles area and had racked up numerous awards, he was committed to doing what was best for his agents. Even though he had always owned his own company, the writing was on the wall. Affiliating with Keller Williams Realty was a way to stay healthy in a softening market. Attracted by the company's staying power in the midst of the downturn, Limon began discussions with Rosie Rodriguez, an associate at the Downey-Pico market center. He was impressed most of all by the Keller Williams model and supportive culture. Three months into the conversations with Rodriguez, Limon was ready to make the move. He stepped up to the

role of team leader of the 140-agent Downey-Pico market center. He had built a team so loyal they said, “Wherever you go, we are going.” And they all joined forces with him. They quickly learned, as Phil had promised, that a reservoir of business-building resources was at their fingertips. Joining Keller Williams Realty had given them the structure and support to grow their businesses. Production was picking up and they were finding their places within the Downey-Pico team. Currently, Limon sees the company as a lighthouse – giving agents some light to steer by, guiding their direction, helping them navigate their businesses. It’s a perspective that Craig Owen is promoting during his ongoing North American mergers and acquisitions tour. As regional director of South Texas, Owen is excited about helping market center leaders learn how to bring entire offices into the Keller Williams fold. Acknowledging that this is no time to weather the market alone, Owen says, “Our business model gives market center owners economies of scale to survive shifts in the marketplace and compete aggressively in a buyers’ market. We know Keller Williams is a company that succeeds when its people do. There’s no other real estate company that shares its resources and profits like Keller Williams does.” While profit share is a notable advantage in any market, Owen adds, “Having open books, an open forum for input and a world-class training program will propel our owners to new heights in the business.” As for Limon, who has owned his own real estate company since 1996 he sees Keller Williams Realty as exactly the best place to be, explaining, “I sleep better with the support of a team.” And he’s excited about building the Downey-Pico market center. “The company’s agent-first philosophy is what sets it apart no matter how the market is doing,” he says. “This is a place where all the elements for success are already in place.” kw

4 2 AG E N T S S T RO N G

are already in place." By Celesta Brown

"All the elements for success

Phil Limon

Phot

o by

: Ron

Mur

ray

The company’s agent-first philosophy is what sets it apart no matter how the market is doing. - Phil Limon

Downey, California


oP mcA AGT Tl Alc Tc Pc

FRANCHISE SYSTEMS ORIENTATION

Oct. 19 - 23

OPERATIONS BOOT CAMPMARKET CENTER LAUNCHMCA SUCCESS IN THE OFFICEPOWER DAYS

Joining Keller Williams Realty is an exciting time and there’s a lot to learn to get on board with training, education, events, culture, models and more! During this weeklong event, you’ll learn about the models and systems that drive market center and agent productivity, and what you can do to take advantage of all the opportunities that are available to you as a Keller Williams associate.

Unless otherwise noted, visit (www.kellerwilliamsuniversity.com) or (www.mapscoaching.com) to register for these training sessions.

OPOPERATING PRINCIPALMCA

MARKET CENTERADMINISTRATOR AGT AGENTTL TEAM LEADER

ALCASSOCIATE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL TC

TECHCOORDINATOR PC

PRODUCTIVITYCOACH

Events

Calendar


FIERCE CONVERSATIONS

Oct. 21 - 22

Led by: Antoinette Perez in Austin, Texas

Today’s market calls for conversations that matter. Take advantage of an exclusive opportunity to be part of the exciting Fierce Conversations® program, based on the national best-selling Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work & in Life, One Conversation at a Time, written by Susan Scott.

TEAM LEADER BOOT CAMP

Oct. 19 - 21

Team Leader Boot Camp teaches you how to master the three P’s of the team leader role: People, Production and Profit. Learn the importance of building relationships and mastering job one – recruiting – through the best practices and scripts from top recruiters in Keller Williams Realty.


Led by: Beverly Steiner

TRAIN THE PRESENTER

Oct. 19 - 20

*ALL NEW MATERIAL Learn what it takes to deliver industry-leading education to create a world-class training calendar in your market center! Train the Presenter is designed to provide the knowledge and skills to successfully conduct Keller Williams University courses and focuses on presentation skills and course delivery. Led by: Antoinette Perez in Austin, Texas


Join Keller Williams Realty executives and your peers in Austin, Texas for collaborative peer-group sessions where you’ll learn problem-solving techniques and hard-won wisdom, while learning powerful new ways to succeed in business. Operating Principal Masterminds: Nov. 9 - 10Agent Masterminds: Nov. 10 - 11Productivity Coach Masterminds: Nov. 10 - 11Team Leader Masterminds: Nov. 11 - 12MCA Masterminds: Nov. 11 - 12Tech Masterminds: Nov. 11

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(formerly Train the Trainer I)


Risk Management

by Avis Wukasch

If in your online

communities you are

giving notice to the

world that you are a

Keller Williams team

member, keep in mind

what you put in writing

reflects on us all.

LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo, Naymz, Spoke.com, Bebo, Experteer, XING, Twitter, Friends Reunited. For a while I thought these were diseases. Now of course, all you Gen Xers and Gen Yers know this is written by a Boomer. Social networking is certainly a new way to stay in touch, and agents are using these forms of media for lead generation – both for business and personal use. The question is no longer “are you connected,” the question is “are you making the most of your connection and are you protected?” There are many resources available on how to use all the new media for lead generation. In this article, I want you to consider not only the liability for your content but also the image you are projecting. If in your online communities you are giving notice to the world that you are a Keller Williams team member, keep in mind what you put in writing reflects on us all. Our market center’s Associate Leadership Council (ALC), with the assistance of our local attorney, put an online communities policy in place earlier this year. Certainly, our market center is not trying to infringe on our agents’ freedom of speech as individuals; however, when an agent puts “Keller Williams Realty” on their online community sites, their social media could reflect negatively on us all. As a broker or agent, you might consider developing your own online community policy. The major components, which we included, are:1. Be polite. Don’t attack others.

2. Be concise and clear in your comments and don’t reflect negatively on the company.3. Don’t post commercial messages for others.4. Use caution when discussing clients, products or competitors.5. Defamatory, threatening, offensive, pornographic or illegal material is strictly prohibited.6. Obey copyright and intellectual property laws. 7. Use caution when accepting friends into your site.8. Your conduct must conform to our state laws and the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics.

Beyond the policy suggestion, perhaps you should consider in this economy whether or not it is a good idea to pontificate on political, religious or social issues if you are using an online community to lead generate. Think about this: at a party with your friends, you make a speech on a social or political issue. Your friends may agree or disagree and it may end. But in social media, once it is written, it is out there for lots of folks to see, read and reflect upon and judge you on. And here’s another test for whether or not to post something: “How would you feel if Mo Anderson read it?” If the answer is embarrassed or humiliated … don’t post it.

Look for me on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Avis Wukasch is team leader of the Round Rock

(Texas) market center. Having recently been ranked

among the 100 Most Influential Women in Real

Estate, Avis currently serves as a commissioner

for the Texas Real Estate Commission and is the

immediate past chairman of the board for the Texas

Association of REALTORS®. On the forefront of

regulatory issues affecting real estate professionals

in Texas, Wukasch is certified to teach continuing

education and prelicensure classes on agency,

marketing, law and contracts.

Connected or exposed?Play it safe with your social media


R E F E R R A L R E S O U R C E S



BECOME A FAN

of Keller Williams Realty, Inc., on

Join the skill-building seminars led by Gary

Keller, Mark Willis, Mary Tennant and Dianna

Kokoszka. Masterminds gives you practical,

tried-and-true ideas and solutions that

you can implement immediately when you

return to your market center.

WhERE’S YOUR NExT gREAT IDEA gOINg TO COmE FROm?

mAPS mASTERmINDS FALL 2009

Owner Mastermind Session 3 - $650 *Monday November 9th, 2009 1:30pm - 5:30pm*Tuesday November 10th, 2009 8:00am - 12:00pm

Agent Mastermind Session 3 - $650*Tuesday November 10th, 2009 1:30pm - 5:30pm *Wednesday November 11th, 2009 8:00am - 12:00pm

Productivity Coach Mastermind Session 3 - $650*Tuesday November 10th, 2009 1:30pm - 5:30pm *Wednesday November 11th, 2009 8:00am - 12:00pm

Team Leader Mastermind Session 3 - $650*Wednesday November 11th, 2009 1:30pm - 5:30pm*Thursday November 12th, 2009 8:00am - 12:00pm

Tech Mastermind Session 3 - $650*Wednesday November 11th, 2009 1:30pm - 5:30pm*Thursday November 12th, 2009 8:00am - 12:00pm

MCA Mastermind Session 3 - $650*Wednesday November 11th, 2009 1:30pm - 5:30pm*Thursday November 12th, 2009 8:00am - 12:00pm

To register now or for more information, go to (www.events.mapscoaching.com)

M A S T E R M I N D S

Marco Island (Fla.) market center 2009 Lead Generation Winners

The Marco Island (Fla.) market center set the stage for a strong finish in 2009 with a lead generating contest in July. Challenging agents to hone their skills during daily Power Hour warm-ups, Ken Gandy, team leader, urged them to lead generate for two hours a day, which he emphasizes, “is essential to succeeding in today’s shifting real estate market.” For 20 days, the 19 participating associates sharpened their sales skills and challenged themselves to get more listings, more leads and more appointments. It worked. By the end of the month, they had made 8,000 phone calls, 2,101 contacts, 86 appointments, 11 new listings, six sales and 31 referrals. “This contest has ignited a tremendous amount of teamwork and improved the skills of the 19 agents,” says Gandy. “The habits they’ve formed, they’ll keep forever.” To celebrate their phenomenal success, associates gathered at a local restaurant where, to their surprise, Mary Tennant, president and COO, and Mark Willis, CEO, Keller Williams Realty, joined the team via Webcam. “We want to congratulate you on seizing the opportunity through MAPS Coaching’s Power Hour,” Willis said to the associates. “By putting yourself in the way of business, you are creating a

game plan for the rest of the year and you are absolutely disrupting your market!” “We are all going to have better businesses because of the example you are setting. You are all extraordinary,” added Tennant. Names were then drawn from a red hat for prizes, including $5,000, won by Chris Schouw; an expense-paid trip to Mega Camp, won by Mike Doerhoefer; a free Fast Track Program from MAPS Coaching, won by Denis Smith; and free office fees for six months won by Maria Fiume.

A LEAD GENERATIONJOB WELL DONE

Alice Cain, Ben Rouleau, Bill Bergen, Debby Lasek,

Kerri Herrity, Mary Schouw, Mike Roller, Sandy

Carinci, Terry Rouleau, Angela Palmer, Bev Moyer,

Donna Theis, Frank Troester, Nikki McGrath and

Susan Schmidt.

OTHER PARTICIPATING ASSOCIATES:

Sep/Oct 2009 • Vol. 6 No. 5outfront32 Keller Williams Realty

R E D A L L O V E R

BEL AIR MARKET CENTER MAKESA HOLE - IN - ONE! Tim Langhauser, MCA with the Bel Air market center, knew that in order to raise $3,000 in 30 days, he would have to come up with an idea that stood to raise a lot of money quickly, without requiring much of an upfront outlay. And so, the “Putts for Bucks” fund-raiser was born. At just $20 a ticket and with the help of Beth Incorvati, team leader, Diane Mahaffey, operating principal, and Jennifer Dietrich, agent services coordinator, the family-friendly tournament became a reality. “I was really excited with the level of enthusiasm and participation,” Incorvati says. “Tim and Jen worked so hard. We had raffle prizes, scorecards, placemats and even custom T-shirts for the event. It was a great day for a great cause,” she adds.

WHATEVER IT TAKES When associates at the Newport (R.I.) market center learned about the KW Cares $3,000 in 30 Days Challenge, they jumped at the opportunity to participate. “The challenge was particularly important to us as, earlier this year one of our agents, Shannon Buss, was the recipient of a grant after her brother was attacked and left in critical condition,” says Julie Costa, team leader. “Without KW Cares, Tommy would not have gotten the care he needed,” says Buss. The market center first set out the “change jar.” “Before we knew it, agents were writing checks and some were dropping in $20s and even $100s,” explains Costa. The next step to reach the $3,000 mark was a yard sale, bake sale and a charity social that included raffles and a pool tournament. In total, the market center raised $4,965.81. “We looked at this challenge as motivation to re-educate our agents on the importance of KW Cares and what it does for the culture of our market center and the entire company. It was a great time,” says Costa.

MAKING IT HAPPEN AS A MARKET CENTER The philosophy that “together everyone achieves more” certainly rang true at the Rockwall, Texas, market center during the $3,000 in 30 Days Challenge. Having already raised $3,000 for KW Cares during the year, Amber Boyd, team leader, set out to gain 100 percent participation for a new initiative called the “Greensheet Campaign,” where agents commit to donating a portion of each transaction to KW Cares. “Within the first few days, we had more than 50 percent of our agents participating,” says Boyd. “It’s now our primary means for raising money for KW Cares in our market center!” By the end of July, associates had raised another $1,000 through Greensheet donations. “Our market center is blessed with so many giving agents,” adds Boyd. kw

K W C A R E S

The competitive spirit was strong during the month of July when market centers across the North America stepped up to the KW Cares Challenge to raise $3,000 in 30 Days. Congratulations to Atlanta-Sandy Springs (#1), Austin Southwest (#2), and Newport (#3) market centers for having the highest level of donations to KW Cares year-to-date. They received recognition at Mega Camp and KW Cares T-shirts for everyone in the market center. Atlanta-Sandy Springs will also receive a visit from Mo Anderson who will conduct an upcoming team meetings. Another big congratulations to all of the 30 market centers who met or exceeded the goal to raise $3,000 in 30 days.

Sep/Oct 2009 • Vol. 6 No. 5Keller Williams Realty outfront 33

many times over"$3,000 In 30"

Atlanta - Sandy SpringsAustin - SouthwestNewportBryn MawrDallas DFW

1.2.3.4.5.

Who met or exceeded the goal to raise $3,000 in 30 days.

Top 10Market Centers

Phoenix/Glendale - PeoriaHouston Clear LakeDenver Tech CenterBel AirAsheville

6.7.8.9.

10.

Emily Clapper is exactly the sort of person that the Martha Squires Educational Grant was created to help. Clapper is the daughter of Karen Wallmueller, who was an associate with the Boynton Beach market center, when she passed away last spring after a battle with cancer. While she was ill, her market center showered her with love and support, hired Clapper for a summer job as the director of first impressions, and initiated a KW Cares grant to help with the remaining medical expenses. After Wallmueller died, the support continued in an equally meaningful way. Donna Tavares, team leader, encouraged Clapper to apply for a Martha Squires Educational Grant. “I didn’t even know about this grant, but within a few days after the application, it was approved, and I received the money,” recalls Clapper. “This grant is helping take a huge weight off my shoulders.” Because Clapper transferred colleges to be closer to her mother, her loans were already due for repayment, so the grant will help her to pay for tuition at her new college, as well as books and supplies she might have struggled to buy otherwise. The ability to extend help to Clapper is a great boost for the whole market center, Tavares says: “I have Karen’s sweater on the back of my office chair. She is with us and we speak of her often. I believe our KW Cares contributions have increased, and our KW Cares committee is more driven to create new and original donation drives because of Karen and her family.”

Tavares adds that Clapper understands and demonstrates the KW culture so well that she received the market center’s culture award in July. She says, “She’s amazing; she’s so much like her mother.” According to Clapper, this type of support and encouragement abounds in the market center. “My mom used to say her work wasn’t work, because it’s a family, with everyone looking out for each other,” she says. “I’m happy to be part of that family now. It’s just a wonderful place to be." kw

across thegenerations

In 2007, KW Cares extended its reach to offer educational grants for family members of associates whose families experienced financial hardship due to major unexpected emergencies.

By Shelley Seale

Karen Wallmueller and daughter, Emily Clapper

K W C A R E S

O P E N H E A R T S :

A helping hand

Sep/Oct 2009 • Vol. 6 No. 5outfront34 Keller Williams Realty

Today our belief system remains a positive and powerful guide for our dedication to building worthwhile individual careers and businesses, while creating fulfilling personal lives. The WI4C2TS, along with our unique culture, sets Keller Williams Realty apart from all other companies in our industry. “Integrity – Do the Right Thing” is the second element of our belief system. Make no mistake, this is not a "sometimes" or "if it fits" guideline. In our Keller Williams family, integrity is the very core, the essence of who we are – as individuals and as a company in general. And, with that in mind, there is a recurring issue about which I’d like to visit with you: recruiting integrity. While I am thrilled on a daily basis with reports of loving compassion shown by our family members, I am also equally dismayed by reports of less-than-fair recruiting incidents. In addressing the first of two areas of great concern, I’d like to remind everyone that regional and market center leadership must always defer sponsorship of a recruit to the associate who brings a lead to Keller Williams Realty. It is critical that the initial generation of a lead be honored. It reflects integrity, it builds trust – it is simply the right thing to do! The second area concerns the recruiting of one individual by multiple team members within a market center. In such

a circumstance, the guideline is clear – the team leader must ask the recruit whom they wish to be their sponsor. The answer should always be the person who is responsible for bringing the recruit to Keller Williams Realty. It is not the team leader’s responsibility to make the selection. It is the responsibility of the recruit. My dear family, I know your hearts and they are good! I am continually touched by the knowledge that you always aspire to do the right thing and exemplify the highest possible professional and personal ethical standards. Where else could one experience the amazing outpouring of love and charity you so generously shared on our recent RED Day? Only within our Keller Williams family! I urge and even challenge you to commit to following the path that was first designed for us many years ago, living up to the extraordinary cultural standards that have come to define us as company. Let our integrity guide us as we share our incredible spirit and culture. Also, let us powerfully impact the world and move forward in becoming a company of destiny!

From the beginning of our great organization, it has been

our deep desire to build a unique real estate company

where partnership was more than just a mere word. We

strive to exemplify the fact that no one succeeds alone.

This is the foundation upon which “WI4C2TS – Our Keller

Williams Belief System in Action” was built.

Yours in integrity first!

Mo AndersonVice Chairman, Keller Williams Realty

My Dear

Friends,MoMentum

Corner

I’d like to remind everyone

that regional and market

center leadership must

always defer sponsorship

of a recruit to the associate

who brings a lead to Keller

Williams Realty.

Sep/Oct 2009 • Vol. 6 No. 5Keller Williams Realty outfront 35

W I 4 C 2 T S

ArchAgent provides you with a pre-listing package that separates you from your competitor. It makes clear points-of-differentiation to the seller of why you should be the agent of choice. Then, we build you a website dedicated solely to your seller’s property. Interested buyers call your call capture Powerline™ system to hear information about the property. A simple keypad press and prospects are instantly viewing the website on their cell phone. Most importantly, the lead is captured and delivered to you in seconds while automatically populating software systems such as Top Producer and WiseAgent. Optionally, our live operator service will call back the lead within fifteen minutes and qualify it for you. It Starts With Quality Lead Generation Arch’s tools will increase your marketing’s response four-fold. So instead of ten leads, you generate forty. Three listings turns into twelve. Pricing properties to sell and qualifying motivation in buyers is a lot easier if you have backup leads in your pipeline.

Other than a referral, The Keller Center At Baylor found call-capture technology to be the most productive source of generating leads.

Check out WAVEpresents.com to register for free business building webi-nars led by certified MAPS coaches. We know it’s tough out there. But if you know where to look, opportunity is everywhere.

Need a listing? Call by October 31st and we’ll give you FSBO data FREE for thirty days and when you set a listing appointment, we’ll build you a preview site for $25. Call Expireds? Send us your expired data and we’ll match the missing elements (phone, name, address, DNC status) for FREE.

Prelisting packagesProperty websitesMobile marketing

Powerline™ call-captureLive operator qualifyingVoice BroadcastFSBO data

Free business building Webinars Featured certified KW MAPS coaches

ArchAgent.com ArchTelecom.com WAVEpresents.com

Win More Listings. Attract More Buyers.Sell More Homes.

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arch_sepoct09.ai 9/9/2009 11:10:48 AM

outfront sept-oct 2009

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